By Rep. Jimmy Gordon
Our state has a spending problem, not a tax revenue shortage. I’m pushing for a more sustainable approach to maximize the effectiveness of dollars the state collects from hardworking Minnesotans.
Take E-12 education, for example, which accounts for the largest share of state spending. That area of spending has risen to $34.6 billion this two-year cycle after Democrats in full control of the Capitol enacted a $2.3 billion increase in 2023. The governor hosted a big ceremonial bill signing, calling it the “Minnesota Miracle 2.0” when he enacted that new funding into law.
Now, just two years later, we’re seeing reports of school districts all around the state facing massive budget shortfalls. Despite record funding, school leaders across the state say they are being forced to make deep cuts to teachers, staff, and programs. They say next year is expected to be even more challenging and numerous districts are on track to enter statutory operating debt – akin to bankruptcy. Meanwhile the Minnesota Department of Education continues to grow and plans to add more full-time employees.
Quick side note: This is NOT a development linked to anything that’s happening at the federal level. The only real federal cut to education I’ve seen is to the U.S. Department of Education – and I fully support that move. That agency has done nothing to improve student outcomes in Minnesota classrooms. Instead, it consumes billions of taxpayer dollars on bureaucracy, money that should be going directly to educate our children. It simply operates more as a funding middleman, and those resources could just as easily be distributed through other, more efficient agencies.
So, how did we get here?
For starters, school leaders have made it clear that an avalanche of more than 65 new mandates imposed by the state legislature over the past two years is overwhelming them. Some of the most expensive unfunded mandates they’ve pointed to include the new Paid Family Leave program, Sick and Safe Time requirements, and the unemployment insurance mandate for hourly school-year employees during the summer months.
As one superintendent put it: “We’re having to cut teachers and [paraprofessionals] so we can pay people to stay home over the summer and not work.” There’s no world where this makes sense.
Here's the problem as we work to stabilize education: Minnesota is now facing a $6 billion shortfall after the $18 billion surplus was spent as the state budget was increased by 40 percent in 2023. The state simply does not have the funds to bail out schools.
In fact, the governor proposes slashing education by more than $240 million in 2026-27 and another $445 million in 2028-29. But, instead of reducing bureaucratic bloat, he proposes cutting merit-based teacher compensation (Q Comp), special education transportation, and non-public pupil support.
To say we need to get our priorities straight is an understatement. Despite “historic” funding, reports show half of Minnesota’s students are not grade-level proficient in reading and math. Scores have fallen by roughly 10 percent in each category from five years ago.
I’m not suggesting, yet anyway, that the Minnesota Department of Education be eliminated, but we should take a closer look at what MDE’s 400 full-time employees are doing to help our children achieve in the classroom. Are we getting the return on our investment in this mass of bureaucracy that children and taxpayers deserve? Our disappointing decline in test scores seems to indicate we are not and MDE’s disgusting affinity for wokeness and DEI pet projects needs to be gutted.
Don’t misinterpret the lack of performance from MDE with the performance of our local superintendents, teachers and school boards who, despite MDE, are doing an excellent job. These educators deserve our respect and appreciation for the important work they do. That’s why I recently signed on to a bill (H.F. 2318) that would allow teachers to retire at 62 instead of 65 without facing penalties on their pension benefits. This is a huge issue that needs to be addressed, and this bill is a big step in the right direction.
We need to restore common sense in Minnesota’s E-12 education system. Let’s focus on priorities most Minnesotans share: local control, properly compensated teachers, funding flexibility and mandate relief for our schools to help students and taxpayers alike regardless of economic trends.
-30-